NZ Thriller to Debut on BBC iPlayer

Neon and the BBC’s iPlayer will drop all six episodes of a new NZ thriller on the same day.

The Ridge will stream on both services, along with Sky Go, from October 21, when it will premiere free-to-air on Sky Open — two days ahead of its BBC Two debut.

The psychological thriller, starring Outlander’s Lauren Lyle (who also has the titular role in Karen Pirie) and Top of the Lake’s Jay Ryan, was shot in NZ and Scotland as a co-production.

Here’s the media release:

Sky NZ & BBC Scotland announce premiere date for all new psychological thriller The Ridge

New six-part psychological thriller The Ridge will launch on Sky Open on Tuesday 21 October at 8.30pm, with all episodes available to stream on Neon and BBC iPlayer from this date.

Shot on location between New Zealand and Scotland, The Ridge stars BAFTA Scotland award-winning Scots actress Lauren Lyle (Karen Pirie, Outlander) in the lead role of Mia, who is fleeing addiction and leaving behind a professional life in tatters in Scotland.

She accepts a wedding invitation from her estranged sister in New Zealand – only to find the would-be-bride dead upon arrival.

Caught up in grief and pulled by a dark attraction to her late-sister’s fiancé Ewan played by New Zealand star Jay Ryan (Territory, Top of the Lake, It Chapter 2), Mia soon finds that familiarity among a small community breeds secrets and tensions, endangering the brittle fabric of the town itself.

Additional cast include Dulcie Smart (Rematch, Concordia), Florence Hartigan (Madam, Kid Sister), Chloe Parker (Grafted, Earthlings), David Van Horn (Sweet Tooth), Taqi Nazeer (The Control Room, Shetland), Claire Dargo (River City,Doctors) and Cora Bissett (The Bombing of Pan Am 103, Annika).

Created by acclaimed novelist Nora Chassler and BAFTA Scotland-winning producer David Murdoch and co-written with Alan Campbell and award-winning New Zealand writers Kate McDermott and Jess Sayer, The Ridge is directed by BAFTA-winning Scottish director Douglas Mackinnon (Good Omens, Line of Duty, Doctor Who) and Emmy-nominated New Zealand director Robyn Grace (Sweet Tooth, Power Rangers, Spartacus).

The series is produced by New Zealand’s leading drama makers Great Southern Studios and Glasgow-based Sinner Films for BBC Scotland and Sky New Zealand Originals and was made with the support of New Zealand On Air, the NZ Screen Production Rebate and Screen Scotland, while Boat Rocker Studios manages global distribution and will launch international sales at MIPCOM. 

The Ridge starts on 21 October on Sky Open, Neon, and Sky Go in New Zealand, and on BBC iPlayer in the UK, with BBC Two screening the drama from Thursday 23 October.

Click here to view the trailer